My Son Sanskrit texts to be translated into Vietnamese, English

My Son Sanctuary is a complex of Cham towers in the central province of Quang Nam.

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NDO - The Sanskrit texts inscribed on the relics at My Son Sanctuary, a UNESCO world heritage site in central Vietnam, will be translated into Vietnamese and English with the assistance of Indian experts.

The translations are expected to shed light on the cultural, historical, religious and architectural values of the towers within the complex, which is located in Quang Nam province, also home to another UNESCO site, the old town of Hoi An.

According to Nguyen Cong Khiet, deputy head of site management, there are currently 31 steles with Sanskrit texts carved into bricks and stones, the main materials used in the architecture of My Son.

The greatest challenge to the translation work is that many of the steles are broken and some fragments have been lost, therefore it will take a great deal of time and effort, he added.

In addition to translating the inscribed texts, the Indian experts are also helping Vietnam to restore the relics in the heritage site, as part of a project funded by the Indian government from 2016 to 2021.

During the excavation and renovation process in 2017, the experts found many valuable objects buried underground such as intricate decorative patterns, lion-headed figurines and building materials.

They also discovered traces of a pathway leading to the centre of the site, which was presumably reserved for members of the royal families and religious dignitaries during the performance of sacred rituals.